The Dance
by Almost Lucy
Summary: Hermione recalls her time with the man she loved.


_THE DANCE_

_Looking back, on the memory of,_

_the dance we shared, beneath the stars above_

_for a moment all the world was right_

_how could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye._

_"No!" She screamed, her heart in her voice. Her friends running to help her could hear her heart breaking in her voice. She heard someone yell "Stupefy!" as she ran to the prone form lying on the ground and threw herself down. Gingerly she lifted his head and placed it in her lap, tears were running down her cheeks. He was still alive, but she knew they only had moments left. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth as he turned his head to look at the face of the girl he loved._

_"No, no, no. Please don't leave me. I need you." Sobs wracked her body as she grabbed his hand. "It'll be okay. We'll get Madame Pomfrey. Someone get Madame Pomfrey!" She turned and yelled at the crowd of students gathering behind them. She barely registered one of the younger students turning and running for the castle. _

_"You can't leave me, I need you. Oh please don't leave me."_

_He turned his face to her. She looked at the features she loved so much. His pointed chin and pale blond hair, icy gray eyes that she knew could warm her from the inside out. She looked into his eyes and saw the inevitable. The icy gray eyes were fading, she cried harder and gripped his hand._

_"I love you." With those words, the beautiful boy died in her arms._

_She kissed his face and held his lifeless body to her. As she held his body and rocked back and forth she remembered everything about him that year together._

"Miss Granger, you will partner with Mr. Malfoy."

"But, Professor..." Professor Dunbar cut Hermione's objection off.

"You are the two best dancers I have Miss Granger. No objections, you will partner each other." Professor Dunbar, the dance teacher, looked between the two angry students. "Also, at the end of the year recital, you will be the closing act. I expect you to choreograph your own dance. During class time, you may use the small studio." Hermione and Draco stood there, staring at her in disbelief. "Well? Don't just look at me, get to work." With that Professor Dunbar turned back to the rest of the class.

"Come on Granger." Draco called for Hermione tersely as he entered the small studio and looked back to find her still standing where he had left her. Hermione hurried to follow Draco into the adjoining room. She shut the door behind herself quietly and watched him as he stood with his back to her, his annoyance apparent in his ram rod straight back.

"What do you think we should do?" Hermione ventured to speak the first words, she hated to admit it, but Draco Malfoy intimidated her. When he turned to her with cold eyes, she shrunk back a little. She knew that if he wanted to hurt her, he could. Without her wand, she was no match for his six foot two inch muscular frame. _A nicely shaped frame._ Hermione silently chastised herself for thinking about how good looking Malfoy was. Well built or not, he was her worst enemy.

"Let's get to work." With that, Malfoy strode toward Hermione. She was surprised by how gently he took her into his arms. With a flick of his wand, Malfoy started the music. Hermione hadn't expected the soft music he chose. With ease, Malfoy turned Hermione around the room in a slow waltz.

_Hermione felt hands tugging at her, trying to remove her from his side. She slapped them away. "Leave me alone!" Her tears slowed from sobs to a steady flow that hurt worse, because she was becoming resigned to her grief._

"Five, six, seven, eight." Draco counted to the beat they started on. Hermione walked toward him from across the room at the beginning of their choreography._ She's beautiful. Stop it Malfoy! This is Granger, a mudblood._ With anger coursing through his veins, Draco passionately grabbed Hermione as she walked past him as they had written. _She' so soft. _Draco's mutinous mind strayed again to thoughts of Hermione. He redoubled his efforts to hate her, his passionate anger coming through in his dancing.

_He looks so dangerous, but he's so gentle. _Hermione blushed at her thoughts. Draco was fiercely passionate today and she felt herself caught up in the dance. With renewed vigor, she got angry with herself for thinking such treacherous thoughts about Malfoy. _He's no good Hermione, you hate him and he hates you._ Hermione felt herself giving herself over to the steps.

Pouring all of their anger into the fast paced start to their dance, Draco and Hermione danced better than they knew they could. Furiously, they danced the revised tango they had constructed. Their determination to hate each other and their unwanted attraction drove them to feel the moves as never before.

As he dipped her, Hermione wrapped her leg around his waist hard. Draco drew her up straight, her leg still around him. The music stopped. Hermione felt her heart pounding as Draco held her and didn't move. Slowly, he lowered his head. Hermione closed her eyes in anticipation. For three months they had spent hours a day together in the studio. Hermione knew she shouldn't feel this way, but she couldn't help herself.

Draco saw Hermione close her eyes and hesitated. He knew that this would change everything for both of them. For two months they had ignored the attraction that blossomed. Now he was about to kiss her. He knew that once he did, there was no going back. Staring at her full, red lips, Draco found that despite all the hate they would receive if they were together, he couldn't resist the her. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers.

Hermione thought a million different thoughts as Draco began to kiss her. All of the things people would say, what Harry and Ron would do, what they would have to endure. She didn't care. Hermione pushed all other thoughts from her mind as Draco deepened their kiss and gave herself totally over to him.

_Hermione thought about their first kiss standing in that dance studio. She had wanted him for so long that she hadn't seemed to be able to stop. Before they were finished, they were both out of breath and had made their way to the wall, where he had pressed her up against it. Looking at the cold lips of the man in her lap, Hermione mourned that she would never feel them pressed to her own again. She wondered for a moment if she would have let him kiss her that day if she knew it would end like this, but knew a few months with him was better than never loving him at all._

_And now, I'm glad I didn't know_

_the way it all would end_

_the way it all would go._

_Our lives are better left to chance_

_I could've missed the pain,_

_But I'd have had to miss the dance._

Draco and Hermione hid their relationship as much as they could. They met in the dance studio daily and sometimes snuck into a broom closet between classes for a quick kiss. They never guessed that everyone would know the moment they danced together.

"Class, please pay attention." Professor Dunbar clapped her hands to quiet the chattering class. The topic of their discussions stood behind her, nervous. Draco and Hermione had agreed to dance part of their routine for the less advanced kids. "Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger will be dancing a portion of their routine for the spring recital for you all today." The professor turned to the nervous couple and motioned for them to take their places.

Hermione glanced at Draco. She saw him smile comfortingly, lovingly. Everyone did. Immediately, whispers began again at the way they looked at each other. Their routine mirrored their emotions. She started in his embrace, her head thrown back, exposing her throat, his face was down, his lips centimeters from her bare throat. When the music started, Hermione pushed away from him, but he pulled her back. Round and round the room they spun, Draco trying to convince Hermione that they belonged together. They stopped just before the slow part began. Draco held Hermione to him for a minute, both of them breathing heavily. Reluctantly, they stepped apart to face their classmates.

The class stared at them in shock. They had never seen two dancers move that way. Draco and Hermione truly felt the story of the dance, and it showed.

_Hermione wiped at her face with a wet sleeve. The whole school had known by the end of the day that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were in love. They stopped trying to hide it. Hermione wished that it had been easier. She was glared at and talked about. Even Ron and Harry avoided her for a few days. With Draco, she had felt whole and alive. Now, Hermione wasn't sure that she would ever feel whole again._

_Holding you, I held everything,_

_for a moment, wasn't I the king._

_But if I'd only known how the king would fall,_

_hey who's to say, you know I might have changed it all._

_ The day of their recital dawned clear and bright. Hermione couldn't help smiling the moment she awoke. Today was their day. Harry and Ron had grudgingly accepted Draco over the last couple of months, and Hermione was deliriously happy. Throwing her feet over the side of her bed, Hermione dressed for her final rehearsal with Draco for the recital that night._

Finally, the moment had arrived. Professor Dunbar motioned them to take the stage as she announced them. They stood entwined behind the curtain, waiting for their cue. As soon as Professor Dunbar exited the stage, a light turned on behind them and they were clearly outlined for the audience to see. The curtain raised as the music began.

The twirling couple told the story of two lovers who were afraid to be together. The music spoke of an impossible love that had been born and the desperation with which the young lovers fought to keep it alive.

Hermione floated around the stage in Draco's arms, painting the picture of happy lovers. The music sped up as the characters fought her family to stay together. It mimicked the tango in many places as he chased her around the stage. Finally, he caught her. With a forceful pull, she was pressed against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her leg up sharply to his waist when he dipped her. Grinning, Draco kissed her as he held her in the dip. The audience clapped loudly. Once more, the music slowed. The other dancers from the night danced onto the stage as Draco and Hermione floated up. They danced in each others arms above the heads of the other performers and out over the audience. All the dancers stopped. Draco and Hermione floated back down to earth in the middle of the semi-circle created below them on the stage. Draco kissed Hermione again as the music stopped.

_When they turned, they were met with thunderous applause. Hermione saw Harry and Ron clapping loudly from the front row and smiled. Draco leaned to whisper in her ear. "Come outside with me." Hermione followed Draco out the doors and over to a spot overlooking the Black Lake._

Stopping, Draco drew Hermione into his embrace. They kissed and whispered about their performance until they were interrupted by a dark voice.

_"Well, well, well. What have we here?" A tall wizard that Hermione recognized as a Death eater approached them. "Here to help me Draco my boy?" Draco stiffened. He pulled Hermione behind him. Anger flashed in the man's eyes. "You think that you can help her? He sneered again. With a flick of his wand, Draco was sent flying. Hermione knew what was about to happen, she steeled her self for death. _

"NO!" Draco threw himself in front of the killing curse. He crumpled in a heap.

"NO!" She screamed, her heart in her voice. Her friends running to help her could hear her heart breaking in her voice. She heard someone yell "Stupefy!" as she ran to the prone form lying on the ground and threw herself down. Gingerly she lifted his head and placed it in her lap, tears were running down her cheeks. He was still alive, but she knew they only had moments left. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth as he turned his head to look at the face of the girl he loved.

"No, no, no. Please don't leave me. I need you." Sobs wracked her body as she grabbed his hand. It'll be okay. We'll get Madame Pomfrey. Someone get Madame Pomfrey!" She turned and yelled at the crowd of students gathering behind them. She barely registered one of the younger students turning and running for the castle.

"You can't leave me, I need you. Oh please don't leave me."

He turned his face to her. She looked at the features she loved so much. His pointed chin and pale blond hair, icy gray eyes that she knew could warm her from the inside out. She looked into his eyes and saw the inevitable. The icy gray eyes were fading, she cried harder and gripped his hand.

"I love you." With those words, the beautiful boy died in her arms.

She kissed his face and held his lifeless body to her. As she held his body and rocked back and forth she remembered everything about him that year together.

Harry and Ron watched helplessly as Hermione sobbed over Draco Malfoy's body. When they tried to pull her away, she slapped at her hands. For long minutes they were forced to watch as her heart shattered.

"I love you. I love you." Hermione whispered into Draco's now deaf ears, hoping that somehow he could hear her. She didn't hear the thunder, she didn't feel the rain that fell and mingled with her hot tears.

Madame Pomfrey came running across the school grounds. She stopped when she saw the still form. She couldn't heal the dead. She sent her assistant to go get a sleeping draught for the distraught young girl that would allow no one to take her from the boy's body. When her assistant arrived with the potion, Madame Pomfrey approached the girl whom she now recognized as Hermione Granger.

"Miss Granger? Dearie, take this, it will make you feel better."

Hermione looked up at the kind healer. She shook her head. "I don't need a sleeping draught. Harry, Ron." Hermione said her best friends names weakly. They hurried over to her. She kissed Draco's still features one last time and then rose with Harry and Ron's help. Hagrid came over and bent to pick up the body. "Thank you Hagrid", she whispered.

"Anything for you 'Ermione." Hagrid carried Draco's lifeless body to the castle. Hermione fainted and Ron caught her. Harry followed him up to the school, they put her in an infirmary bed and stayed by her side as she dreamed of Draco. His name escaped her lips countless times throughout the night. Harry and Ron would move for no one.

When Hermione woke, she saw her best friends sleeping with their heads on her bed. She smiled. Harry lifted his head when he felt her move. He shook Ron awake.

"Ron! She's awake!" Hermione smiled again. They softly talked to her until Madame Pomfrey brought her a sleeping draught, which she accepted. Only when they were sure that she was okay, did they leave.

The next day, Ron and Harry waited for her in the common room. They stood with smiled on their faces when she entered. She came and sat with them.

After a few minutes of silence Ron asked, "Was it worth it Hermione? Would you still have loved him if you had known?"

Hermione sat for a moment with her eyes closed. When she opened them again she smiled at her red haired friend bittersweetly. "Yes."

_Yes my life is better left to chance_

_I could've missed the pain,_

_But I'd have had to miss the dance._


End file.
